Convertible bulkhead for refrigerator cars



May 19, 1942. 'A. F. OCONNOR ETAL 2,283,755-

CONVERTIBLE BULKHEAD FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Sept. 18, 1941 Patented May 19, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE CONVERTIBLE BULKHEAD FOR REFRIGER- ATOR CARS Application September 18, 1941, Serial No. 411,310

Claims.

The invention relates to a convertible bulkhead for refrigerator cars and more particularly to the type of bulkhead covered by the copending application of John S. Lundvall, Serial No. 407,524, filed August 20, 1941.

The invention relates more specifically to providing improved means for raising and lowering the bulkhead anchoring arms of the above mentioned copending application.

An object is to provide means for moving one or more anchoring arms into operative position and holding them in this position, a plurality of the arms, if used, being moved simultaneously.

An object is-to provide means for moving one or more anchoring arms into inoperative position and holding them in this position.

A further object is to provide improved bulkhead anchoring arms which may be held in operative bulkhead holding position whereby said arms will not he accidentally jolted out of holding position due to car shocks.

A further object is to provide improved means for raising and lowering bulkhead anchoring members into inoperative and operative positions, respectively, said means being set into the walls of the car so as not to project noticeably beyond the usual wall or ceiling line.

A further object is to provide improved means for holding the anchoring members in operative movement of the bulkhead by a person entering the ice bunker through the hatchway.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional elevation of the upper portion of one end of a refrigerator car, with the bulkhead in extended position, the anchoring members in operative position and the operating rod in position to hold the anchoring members from accidentally raising due to car shocks.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional elevation taken along lin 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the operating rod lever in raised, secured position above the ceiling of the car.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation taken on line 44 of Fig. 2, showing the operating rod lever in raised, secured position and the anchoring members stored within the recessed portion of the ceiling.

The upper portion only of the bulkhead and car are shown as the invention does not concern the lower portion of the bulkhead and car which may be of conventional construction.

Referring to the drawing, the end wall of the car is indicated by the numeral 10, which, with the car roof I2, side wall I4, and hatchway l6 may be of conventional construction. The ceiling 18 of the lading compartment may be lower than the ceiling 20 of the ice compartment in order to provide'an offset portion coincident with the inner wall of the bulkhead 22 when in extended position.

A plurality of bulkhead anchoring members 24 may be pivotally secured to the ceiling structure of the car by means of mounting brackets 26' and pivot pins or bolts 28,'said members 24 and brackets 26 being preferably mounted to the ceiling structure of the car within recessed portions 30 thereof.

The member 24 may comprise an elongated arm pivotally mounted adjacent one of its end portions to bracket 26 and provided adjacent its opposite end portion with downwardly extending spaced apart lateral extensions 32 and 34 adapted to embrace the outer and inner vertical boundaries respectively of bulkhead 22 when the member 24 is lowered to bulkhead securing position.

The members 24 may be disposed in a series transversely of the car and coincident with the upper portion of bulkhead 22 when the latter is in extended position. An operating bar 36 may be provided as a means of holding the members 24 in'raised, inoperative position and may also be used as a means of holding the members 24 in operative, bulkhead securing position. Operating bar 36 may comprise an elongated bar extending transversely of the car and of the series of members 24 and may be mounted upon the ceiling structure I8 within a slotted portion 38 of the ceiling l8, above the member 24. Operating bar 36 may be provided with an offset U-shaped bent portion 40 adjacent and underlying each of the members 24 and may be provided, adjacent side wall I4 of the car, with an angularly disposed end portion 42 adapted to be used as a lever to revolve the bar 36 and raise the members 24 into inoperative stored position. The angularly disposed lever portion 42 may be provided adjacent its extremity with a relatively short angularly disposed end portion 44 extending in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the bar 36. End portion 44 may be used as a handle for operating the bar 36 and as a means of locking the operating bar in predetermined position.

Operating bar 36 may be mounted for turning movement by means of substantially U- shaped clip members 46, a clip member 46 being disposed adjacent each side portion 48 of each bent portion 40 of bar 36, the relatively straight portion of bar 36 being journalled within the U-shaped portion of clip member 46. One of the parallel spaced apart portions which form the U-shape in clip member 46 may be provided with an an ularly disposed extension adapted to be bolted or otherwise secured to the ceiling structure.

The lateral extension 32 of member 24 may be provided with a laterally extending rib 52 adapted to underlie the Ushaped bent portion a 40 of the operating bar 36 when the members 24 are in bulkhead securing position and the lever portion of bar 38 is locked in its downward position whereby to prevent the members 24 from accidentally raising, due to car shocks.

The means for securing the lever portion '42 in its upper position may comprise a pivoted latch 54 mounted upon the ceiling I8, imposition to swing in a horizontal plane into and out of the swinging plane of lever portion 42 and end portion 44.

A latch 55 may be mounted upon the framing of bulkhead 22 to swing in a vertical plane, into and out of the swinging plane of end portion 44 of operating bar 36, whereby end portion 44 will be retained between latch 56 and the bulkhead framing when latch 56 is swung downwardly across end portion 44. Latch 56 may be reinforced in its operating bar holding position by means of a Z-shaped clip 58 which may have one of its vertical legs secured to the bulkhead framing and its other leg extending upwardly in spaced relation to the said bulkhead framing and adapted to overlie the lower end of latch 56 when latch 56 is in operating bar holding position.

It will be seen that, when the lever portion 42 is moved upwardly to the position shown in Figs.

3 and 4, the U-shaped portions 40 of the operating bar will raise the members 24 to inoperative position and the latch 54 will maintain the operating bar in this position. When the lever portion 42 is swung downwardly to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the U-shaped portions 40 of the operating bar will overlie the ribs 52 of the members 24 and hold members 24 in bulkhead engaging position.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of a specified number of the bulkhead anchoring members nor to a specified number of U-shaped cranks on the operating bar. It is further contemplated that the number of levers on the operating bar may be varied and the lever may be an integral part of the operating bar or a separate part without departing from the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a refrigerator car having a transverse bulkhead movable longitudinally of the car, an arm pivotally secured to the car adapted to swing into holding engagement with the upper portion of the bulkhead, a revolvable rod mounted upon the car adjacent said arm, a crank on said rod intermediate its ends and underlying said arm, a lever on said rod adapted to rotate said rod in one direction whereby said crank will raise said arm out of holding engagement with said bulkhead.

2. In a refrigerator car having a transverse bulkhead movable longitudinally of the car, an arm pivotally secured to the car adapted to swing into holding engagement with said bulkhead, a revolvable rod mounted upon the car adjacent said arm, a crank on said rod underlying said arm, a lever on said rod adapted to rotate said rod in one direction whereby said crank will raise said arm out of holding engagement with said bulkhead, and latch means on said car adapted to hold said lever in position whereby said crank will hold said arm out of holding engagement with said bulkhead.

3. In a refrigerator car having a transverse bulkhead movable longitudinally of the car, an arm pivotally secured to the car adapted to normally swing into holding engagement with said bulkhead, a detent upon the portion of said arm which engages said bulkhead, a revolvable rod mounted upon the car adjacent said arm, a crank on said rod underlying said arm, a lever on said rod adapted to revolve said rod in one direction whereby said crank will move said arm out of holding engagement with said bulkhead and adapted to revolve said rod in opposite direction to permit said arm to swing-into bulkhead engaging position, said crank being adapted to normally overlie said detent when said arm is in bulkhead engaging position whereby to restrain said arm from accidental disengagement with said bulkhead.

4. In a refrigerator car having a bulkhead movable longitudinally of the car, an arm pivotally secured to and within a recessed portion of the car adapted to swing into holding engagement with said bulkhead, a revolvable rod secured to and within a recessed portion of the car adjacent said arm, a crank on said rod underlying said arm, and a lever on said rod adapted to rotate said rod in one direction whereby said crank will raise said arm out of holding engagement with said bulkhead.

5. In a refrigerator 'car having a bulkhead movable longitudinally of the car, a plurality of arms pivotally secured to the car adapted to swing into holding engagement with said bulkhead, a rotatable rod secured to the car adjacent said arms, a plurality of cranks on said rod coincident with and underlying said arms, a lever on said rod adapted to rotate said rod in one direction whereby said cranks will raise said arms out of holding engagement with said bulkhead substantially and simultaneously, and latch means on the car adapted to hold said lever in position to hold said arms out of holding engagement with said bulkhead.

ARTHUR F. OCONNOR. JOHN S. LUNDVALL. 

